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Interim city administrator possible

Langloss: Uncertainty about city’s future form of government could put off permanent candidates

By DEREK BARICHELLO
dbarichello@saukvalley.com
800-798-4085, ext. 526

May 17, 2013

Caption

Danny Langloss

DIXON – The City Council may start with an interim city administrator when it hires someone for the new post in 3 to 6 months, said Police Chief Danny Langloss, special assistant to the City Council.

After it was revealed former public works and personnel director Shawn Ortgiesen used city-issued credit cards for personal use, the City Council appointed Langloss last month to serve as a temporary administrator in Ortgiesen’s place, with the goal of hiring a full-time administrator.

Initially, Langloss said the administrator hired would be flexible enough to be an administrator, or a city manager, if the form of government is changed by referendum in November 2014.

After some research, Langloss said an interim might be a better fit, because of that uncertainty.

“It may be very difficult to hire a permanent administrator,” Langloss said. “We have a governmental task force that we don’t know what form of government they are going to recommend. Candidates who apply for this position are really going to look at what kind of authority will be given to them by the City Council to succeed.”

Langloss said John Phillips, an adviser from the Illinois City/County Management Association and a former city manager of Rock Island, said a handful of qualified interim candidates are available throughout the state.

The job description crafted by the City Council, with the help of Langloss, could decide if the City Council goes with an interim.

“The job has to be stable enough for candidates to uproot their family and move to Dixon,” Langloss said.

He will travel to East Peoria next week to meet with its city administrator, mayor and department directors. East Peoria, which has a population of about 22,000, has an administrator with a commission form of government, similar to Dixon’s.

Also, Langloss said he has talked individually with several department directors in Dixon to gain their input.

After his visit to East Peoria, Langloss said he could come back to the City Council with a recommendation for crafting the job description.